Why I Chose To Study The Durham MBA In The UK

Bianca Marquez is a bioengineer and an MBA alumna of Durham University Business School. Bianca worked in the healthcare industry for more than six years in the United States and Mexico before deciding to study the Durham MBA.

Durham University Business School offers three different MBA programmes. The full-time MBA which is studied over 12 months, the online MBA which is studied part-time over two years and the Durham-EBS Executive MBA which is in partnership with EBS Universität. Read on below to learn why Bianca chose to study an MBA in the UK.

What made you decide to pursue an MBA? 

In my industry, it was clear from the beginning that you need to keep learning and developing yourself to keep up with the fast-evolving industry changes. I wanted to challenge myself to learn other topics that are not related to engineering such as finance, economics, and international business and this was why I chose to study the Durham MBA.

I see an MBA as a stepping stone to help me grow in the medical industry and enable me to climb the corporate ladder.

Why did you choose to study in the UK? 

When comparing universities to study, I realised that in both the USA and Mexico an MBA was a two-year programme, this did not align with my goals especially considering that I wanted a full-time programme and did not want to be out of the job market for too long. That’s when I looked overseas and realised the UK has some of the most internationally recognised MBA programmes. Offering cultural experience and prestige. Once I realised the potential in the UK for MBAs I did not look back and decided to only apply in the UK.

Why did you choose Durham University Business School?

During my research, I found that Durham University Business School had the best value in the UK, in addition, they have a module for international business that involves visiting an organisation overseas, where I could immerse myself in local business culture and learn about the complexities of operating in the global marketplace. These incentives were key in my decision to choose the Durham MBA.

Another reason is that I am a big Harry Potter fan! Durham is known for having a collegiate system just as in Harry Potter and for shooting movie scenes in the beautiful cathedral. If you are a big Harry Potter like me, this is a pretty good University to choose.

What was the highlight of your programme?

The people that I met. For me, the real learning was the collaboration between my cohort. Having people from different backgrounds such as countries, languages, and industries, enriched my experience and enabled me to learn about other cultures and understand their views and experiences.

The Durham MBA only allows you to apply if you have a least five years work experience, this attracts people who are highly experienced in their fields, and this brings interesting topics to discuss. Bringing opinions or points of view I would never consider if it was not for the wisdom of my peers.

What skills do you think you have gained from the Durham MBA? 

Overall, the programme is designed for you to learn hard skills such as technical, leadership and managerial skills. But it also teaches you the fundamentals of soft skills like emotional intelligence and self-awareness.

These skills that I acquired will help me in my goal of continuing professional growth.

What are your plans now you have completed your MBA? 

I plan to return to my industry, armed with the knowledge I learned during the programme and I will continue to work on my professional growth. 

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